1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for preventing sudden acceleration of an automobile fitted with an automatic transmission, and more particularly, to an apparatus installed between a cable connected to an accelerator pedal and a cable connected to a fuel injector of an automobile fitted with an automatic transmission, for preventing sudden acceleration of the automobile, which may occur when the accelerator pedal and a brake pedal are simultaneously depressed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since evolution of automobiles, a variety of types of automobiles have been developed and manufactured. Recently, automobiles equipped with an automatic transmission have been developed to provide convenience and simplicity in operation. However, sudden acceleration and related accidents have become increasingly reported, thus becoming one of the most serious problems facing society today.
Sudden acceleration is phenomenon that an automobile equipped with an automatic transmission accelerates suddenly backward or forward when the automobile starts from a stop state or a parking state. It is known that such sudden acceleration mostly occurs because power is transmitted by shifting an automatic transmission after engine revolutions per minute (RPM) abruptly increase.
Accordingly, extensive research into means for preventing sudden acceleration of an automobile fitted with an automatic transmission has been recently carried out, and various means for preventing abrupt increase of RPM when an automobile fitted with an automatic transmission is started, preventing fuel supply to an engine, stopping engine actuation by interrupting power supply or for actuating a selector lever only when a brake state of an automobile is maintained by means of a shift lock device, have been proposed.
Specifically, a shift lock device allows a selector lever not to be shifted from a parking position P when a brake pedal is not depressed, and is widely used to prevent sudden acceleration.
However, known methods for preventing an abrupt increase of RPM or preventing fuel or power supply are not satisfactory in suddenly stopping an automobile when the automobile rushes backward or forward instantaneously. Also, since a shift lock device is released just by depressing a brake pedal in a state in which the automobile stops, a shift lock device cannot solve the problem of sudden acceleration occurring when a brake pedal and an accelerator pedal are simultaneously depressed at an initial startup or drive state of an automobile fitted with an automatic transmission.